DIGITAL BADGING, INFORMATION LITERACY, AND

BUSINESS SCHOOL CURRICULUM:

PREPARING STUDENTS FOR THE WORKPLACE

THROUGH MICRO-CREDENTIALS

WENDY GIRVEN POTHIER

BUSINESS LIBRARIAN,

UNIVERSITY OF NEW

HAMPSHIRE

INTERNATIONAL

CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS

AND ECONOMICS

INFORMATION

BERLIN, GERMANY

MAY 6-7, 2019

OUTLINE

Challenges of information literacy instruction for business librarians

• Workplace value

• Employer perspective

• Librarian time and scalability

Digital Badges

• Rise of personal learning

• Digital badging in business school

• Badging and librarians

Information Literacy Badging at University of New Hampshire

• Two badges integrated into first year research program for business students

• Introduction to library research

• Market research

BACKGROUND

• Business Librarian for Peter T. Paul School of Business &

Economics at University of New Hampshire

• 3000 students

• First year research program “FIRE”

• Graduate programs in Economics, Accounting,

Finance, Business Administration

• Undergraduate programs in Marketing, Hospitality,

Economics, Accounting, Management, Finance,

Entrepreneurship, International Business

• “Our emphasis is on providing students with rigorous

academic preparation coupled with real-world

experience and critical career skills gives our students

a competitive advantage in the job market, preparing

them not just for their first job, but for their careers,”

Associate Dean Dr. Neil Niman (Keeler, 2019).

INFORMATION LITERACY INSTRUCTION

ONE- SHOT CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION

SESSIONS

ONE-ON-ONE RESEARCH

CONSULTATIONS WITH STUDENTS

AND FACULTY

DROP IN OFFICE HOURS

ANSWERING QUESTIONS VIA CHAT,

EMAIL, PHONE

INFORMATION LITERACY AND EMPLOYER PERCEPTION

“Through the results of our survey, three broad themes can be identified to inform educators

about the information literacy skills desired in the workplace. The first theme validates

what previous information literacy research has shown, which is that information literacy

skills are important to employers. The second theme is that there are fundamental job

skills that employers expect from recent college graduates that are seemingly

lacking and have a basis in information literacy. The final theme is that employers

would like a more specific representation of skills or abilities to better evaluate

college graduates for potential jobs” (Raish,& Rimland, 2016).

PERCEPTIONS:

EMPLOYERS VS.

RECENT GRADS

INFORMATI0N LITERACY

ISSUES

Information literacy skills are desired by employers

Information literacy instruction is delivered inconsistently across the curriculum

Number of librarians vs. number of students, faculty, programs, etc.

Developing foundational knowledge

WHAT IS A DIGITAL BADGE?

• Way to document and articulate a skill

• Visual representation of qualification

with linked metadata

• Portable and sharable credential

• Offers immediate value to current

employers and demonstrates mastery

of in-demand business skills to

potential future employers

RISE OF PERSONAL LEARNING

Allows students to pursue the skills development or practice that is right for them:

- at their own pace

- using media that is suited to their particular learning style and work environment

“Microcredentials are thus proliferating as personal learning enables secure, trackable, and auditable verification of enrollment and achievement.” (Das & Moldoveanu, 2019).

MICROCREDENTIALS IN BUSINESS CURRICULUM

• Event Leadership

• Mobile Programming

Western Michigan University

Business School

• Accounting

• Corporate Finance

• Data Programming for Business

• Innovation and Entrepreneurship

University of Pittsburgh

RESEARCH SHOWS US THAT BADGING…

Allows for personalized learning for the student, displayed on platforms that follow them beyond a particular institution or organizations.

Foundational knowledge and skills Professional Development Up-skilling or Re-skilling

Badging creates a space for higher education to innovate in a way that meets workforce needs, technology innovations, and labor market demands.

Badging as a learning tool for career readiness and eventual recruitment within the growing standard of competency-based hiring.

BENEFITS OF BADGING FOR THE LIBRARIAN

Scalable way to provide instruction at a

foundational level

Becoming embedded into the curriculum

Teaching information literacy in the context of

“workforce skill”

UNH LIBRARY BADGES

In 2017, we launched our “Library Research” badge as part of the FIRE program

In 2018, we ran the badge again and added a second FIRE program badge for “Market Research”

In 2019, we plan to add a meta badge for students who complete both badges.

WHAT IS THE FIRE PROGRAM?

• First year research program

• Runs the full academic year

• Foundational knowledge, networking,

career preparation, student success

• Approximately 600 students in 35 teams

• Gamified learning experience, students

compete to earn points throughout the year

• As a team, the students create a business

plan to provide a solution to a grand

challenge.

• Available during fall semester

• Foundational knowledge on

• UNH Library resources

• Strategic searching

• Primary and secondary resources

• Introduction to business research

• To earn the badge:

• Complete 4 modules passing scores

• Self paced, 45 minutes to 1 hour to

complete

• Available during spring semester

• Primer on market research

• Consumer

• Competitor

• Industry

• Introduction to three business databases

• Statista

• IBISWorld

• Mergent Intellect

• To earn the badge:

• Complete 4 modules with passing scores

• Self paced, 45 minutes to 1 hour to

complete

Library Research Badge Market Research Badge

COURSE MODULE EXAMPLE

STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN LIBRARY RESEARCH BADGE

2017: 131/580 students earned the badge (23%)

• Others started but did not complete

2018: 207/603 students earned the badge (34%)

• The positive response resulted in the program asking for a second badge for the Spring semester.

LIBRARY BADGE STUDENT LEARNING FEEDBACK

“Where to go in the library/online if I needed

help with research”

“I learned about all the different help desks and

offices in the library and what they were for”

“I learned how to use the library website to

conduct research”

“I learned how to use the library resources

which was a very valuable skill to obtain. Also I

learned how to identify sources and figure out

which ones were credible and which were not”

85% of students responded positively to

learning something new while completing

the badge.

PERCEPTION OF TIME

• The time to complete the badge takes approximately

the same as a one-shot instruction session.

• Students felt that they could complete the badge in a

reasonable amount of time.

INITIAL FEEDBACK

FROM MARKET

RESEARCH BADGE

“I did the Market Research Badge and really liked this one, I thought all of the info was very relevant to the competition.”

“I thought it was really straight forward and helpful even more so that the badges in the past.”

137/561 students completed the market research badge.

SHARING WITH EMPLOYERS

• After earning the badge, students can share it on their open badges personal learning site

• Students can share a badge on their LinkedIn profile or through other social media

“The post sharing my badge garnered

over 1,100 views in 48 hours. I don’t have 1,100 people in my network, so every time someone

liked it or commented on it, it showed up in their feed as well, opening up my earned badge to an entire new network of people that may not have

otherwise seen it.”

Patricia Diaz, Credly

CONCLUSION

As associated technologies develops, we will likely

see the capabilities and abundance of badging

increase. Librarians have the opportunity to be

innovators and leaders in this area of learning in

both higher education and in professional

development.

SUGGESTED RESOURCES

• Penn State University Libraries Digital Badges

https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/c.php?g=516093&p=3540444

• Ifenthaler, D., Bellin-Mularski, N., & Mah, D. (2016). Foundation of Digital Badges and

Micro-Credentials : Demonstrating and Recognizing Knowledge and Competencies .

Cham: Springer International Publishing.

• How Everyone Benefits from Badging: A Guide to Mainstreaming Digital Credentials

https://evolllution.com/programming/credentials/how-everyone-benefits-from-

badging-a-guide-to-mainstreaming-digital-credentials/

• The Present and Future of Alternative Digital Credentials

https://icde.memberclicks.net/assets/ICDE-ADC%20report-

January%202019%20%28002%29.pdf

• Rimland, E., & Raish, V. (2019). Microcredentials and Digital Badges. Library Technology

Reports, 55(3), 1–34.

REFERENCES

• Bauer-Wolf, J. (2018). Overconfident Students, Dubious Employers. Retrieved from: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/02/23/study-students-

believe-they-are-prepared-workplace-employers-disagree /

• Diaz, P. (2019). Sharing Badges on Social Media Actually Works. Retrieved from: https://resources.credly.com/blog/post/sharing-badges-social-

media-actually-works

• Keeler, S. (2019). Paul College Business Accreditation Renewed. Retrieved from https://www.unh.edu/unhtoday/2019/04/paul-college-business-

accreditation-renewed

• Lewis, M. J., & Lodge, J. M. (2016). Keep Calm and Credential on: Linking Learning, Life and Work Practices in a Complex World. Foundation of Digital

Badges & Micro-Credentials, 41. Retrieved from https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edb&AN=117238977&site=eds-live

• Lockley, A., Derryberry, A., & West, D. (2016). Drivers, Affordances and Challenges of Digital Badges. Foundation of Digital Badges & Micro-Credentials,

55. Retrieved from https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edb&AN=117238978&site=eds-live

• Narayandas, Das, and Mihnea Moldoveanu. "The Future of Leadership Development." Harvard Business Review 97, no. 4 (March–April 2019): 40–48.

(Spotlight Talent Management.) Raish, V., & Rimland, E. (2016). Employer Perceptions of Critical Information Literacy Skills and Digital Badges. College

& Research Libraries, 77(1), 87-113 doi:https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.77.1.87

• Rimland, E., & Raish, V. (2019). Microcredentials and Digital Badges. Library Technology Reports, 55(3), 1–34. Retrieved from

https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=135677009&site=eds-live